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Subject: [theburmanetnews] BurmaNet News: Weekend of April 29-30, 2000
______________ THE BURMANET NEWS ______________
An on-line newspaper covering Burma
______________ www.burmanet.org _______________
Weekend of April 29-30, 2000
Issue # 1521
This edition of The BurmaNet News is viewable online at:
http://theburmanetnews.editthispage.com/stories/storyReader$367
*Inside Burma
REUTERS: INTERVIEW-MYANMAR ASEAN MEETING BOOSTS MILITARY - OPPOSITION
BURMA COURIER: ARREST OF ARAKANESE LEADER SNUB TO RAZILI
BURMA COURIER: ANGLICAN PRIEST WARNED NOT RETURN TO BURMA
SHAN: NEWS IN BRIEF ON DRUGS
SHAN: MILITARY TAKES A HEFTY CUT IN GAMBLING
AVA: DUE TO SPDC LEADER'S VISIT, SECURITY HAS BEEN
TIGHTENED IN NORTHERN SHAN STATE
NLM: MULTIMEDIA CD-ROM OF STUDENT S ENGLISH-ENGLISH/MYANMAR
DICTIONARY LAUNCHED
*International
AFP: JAPAN'S TRADE MINISTER TO VISIT MYANMAR, OTHER ASIAN NATIONS
THE IRISH TIMES: MAN WITH PASSION FOR RIGHTS LOCKED UP IN BURMA
XINHUA: MYANMAR JEWELRY ENTERS CHINESE MARKET
NATION: BURMESE STUDENT COMMITS SUICIDE AT MANEELOY CAMP
*Opinion/Editorials
THE JAPAN TIMES: CONTAINING AUTHORITARIANISM IN MYANMAR
BANGKOK POST: BURMA OWES US HELP ON DRUGS
SPDC: LURKING ELEMENTS OUT TO DESTROY RACE
*Other
__________________ INSIDE BURMA ____________________
REUTERS: INTERVIEW-MYANMAR ASEAN MEETING BOOSTS MILITARY - OPPOSITION
YANGON, April 30 (Reuters) - The vice chairman of Myanmar's main
opposition party said on Sunday a two-day regional meeting of
economic ministers in Yangon will give psychological support to the
ruling military.
Tin Oo, a close associate of Nobel Prize winning dissident Aung San
Suu Kyi, told Reuters the meeting of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN), which starts on Monday, was likely to worsen
the repression of dissidents in the country.
He said ASEAN's policy of "constructive engagement" of Myanmar had
failed to bring positive change and aid given by countries such as
Japan had been misused by the authorities and prolonged their rule.
"So long as the Japanese government gives aid, the (military) will
toughen its harassment and threats against our democratic activists,"
he said in an interview at his Yangon home on Sunday.
"We are just simply urging the democratic countries -- like the
Japanese and the South Koreans -- not to do such a thing.
"Whenever you do such a thing, it will have a detrimental effect on
democratic activists. You have to consider very, very thoroughly.
Those people who are professing democracy should abstain from things
tantamount to giving some kind of encouragement to the military
regime."
Both Japan and South Korea, along with Communist China, are taking
part in the meeting of economic ministers of ASEAN's 10 member
states -- Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia,
Singapore, Brunei, the Philippines and Indonesia.
It is the first time Yangon, which joined ASEAN in 1997 against
protests from the opposition, has hosted such a senior meeting of the
regional bloc.
"This has a psychological effect, it gives them encouragement," Tin
Oo said.
Last year Japan, which like other rich countries cut aid to Myanmar
in 1988 after the military came to power by killing thousands to
crush a pro-democracy uprising, indicated a softening of its line by
offering help if Yangon took structural reform of its economy
seriously.
It said it would be easier to provide assistance if Myanmar was more
democratic, but analysts said Tokyo's biggest concern appeared to be
losing business and political influence to China.
FRESH DETENTIONS SHOW HARDER MILITARY LINE
Tin Oo said the negative impact had already been shown with the
detention earlier this month of more than 40 members of Suu Kyi's
National League for Democracy (NLD), including members of its youth
wing, and Aye Thar Aung, a senior official responsible for issues
related to ethnic minorities.
He estimated around 2,000 political prisoners were being held, mostly
members of the NLD, which won the country's last election in 1990 by
a landslide, but was never allowed govern.
The military denies holding political prisoners.
Tin Oo said he had no idea where the latest detainees were being
held.
"In Burma, when a person is arrested you are not likely to know where
he is. You have no contact at all and they don't give any kind of
information to their family.
"You see, this is a police state, totally a police state, totally a
totalitarian state, totally an authoritarian state. Even though they
call themselves the State Peace and Development Council, everything
is ruled by the military."
Tin Oo praised the new U.N. special envoy, Malaysian diplomat Razali
Ismail, who has been appointed to try to encourage democratic change
and human rights in Myanmar.
"We believe he is a true international servant. He has to serve
internationally, not his own country -- even if he is an adviser to
the prime minister of Malaysia. We believe he will carry out his duty
as a very good and able trustworthy diplomat," he said.
Despite the gloom of a pre-monsoon rainstorm darkening his
dilapidated but tidy home in Yangon's Bahan township, Tin Oo remained
upbeat.
"We are optimistic, still optimistic, and will be even if there's
only one person left, because the trend in the 21st century is
towards democracy."
____________________________________________________
BURMA COURIER: ARREST OF ARAKANESE LEADER SNUB TO RAZILI
Based on news from AFP, MIC release: April 26, 2000
RANGOON -- One of Burma's top opposition politicians has been
arrested and is being held by the military government, Aung San Suu
Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) said Wednesday.
U Aye Thar Aung, of the ten-member Committee Representing the
People's Parliament (CRPP), was arrested by police who arrived at his
house late on Monday night, a party statement said. The NLD said it
did not know why he was arrested or where he was being held.
Aye Thar Aung, a leading member of the Arakan League for Democracy,
serves as the chairman of the Committee for Ethnic Nationalities
Affairs of the CRPP. Two other leaders of minority ethnic parties, 82-
year old Nai Tun Shein of the Mon National Democratic Front and Kyin
Shin Htan of the Zomi National Congress were arrested last November
after they spoke with Alvaro de Soto, then the UN's special envoy to
Burma. The 83-year Saw Mra Aung, another ethnic minority leader who
was elected Speaker of the CRPP, has been under arrest since the
committee was formed in September 1998.
The arrest of U Aye Thar Aung comes just weeks before a visit to
Rangoon by the newly appointed UN envoy, Malaysia's Razali Ismail,
and appears as a deliberate snub of his request that his mission not
be politicized. A notice posted in a government information bulletin
admitted that the ethnic minority leader had been taken into custody.
It accused him of being connected with "outlawed armed groups
operating along the Thai-Myanmar border" and blamed him for "creating
misunderstanding" between the military junta and cease-fire armies in
eastern and northern Burma.
Meanwhile, state controlled media this week claimed that hundreds of
thousands of people have turned out for mass rallies directed against
the popularly supported National League for Democracy in recent weeks.
There were reports that demonstrations in Upper Burma had been staged
in Kyaukpadaung and Nahtogyi townships in Mandalay division as well
as in neighbouring Ngazun township in Sagaing division. Over 300,000
people in the three townships were said to have attended dozens of
meetings in village tracts throughout the area and they were calling
for the dissolution of the NLD.
Mass meetings in nine delta townships in Irrawaddy division seem to
have taken a different tack. More than half a million voters there
were reported to have called on their NLD MPs to resign. The MPs are
among those who have been under arrest in government "guest houses"
for over a year and half and resisting government
____________________________________________________
SHAN: NEWS IN BRIEF ON DRUGS
30 April 2000
No: 4 - 18
Hair-raising seizure not reported On 23 April, 3 Chinese coming from
Mongkoe, the infamous drug town near the Chinese border, were
searched by a team of narcotic agents led by Sgt. Myint Oo.
Altogether 91 "towts" (small plastic capsules each containing one
injection or "smoke") of heroin were found on their person. On
interrogation, one admitted they also carried more in their
digestive canals.
According to the source in Muse, they were administered with
purgatives at the town hospital. But failing to remove the alien
masses in the suspects' bowels, doctors were ordered to conduct
surgical operations on them.
Also on 17 March, a truck belonging to a Chinese from Namzang
village in Muse was stopped at the Mao (Shweli in Burmese) ferry
crossing. It was filled with barrels of aceticanhydride.
The agents also 'confiscated' some amount of hard cash from the
owner. These were however not reported on state media.
30 April 2000
No: 4 - 19
Drugs and Precursor Chemicals Escorted By Junta Troops
On 26 April, a Chinese from Nawng-ook, Chiangdao District,
Chiangmai, brought 500,000 pills of methamphetamine, escorted by 2
truckloads of soldiers from IB 65 and IB 330. The shipment was
unloaded at Nawng Talang, 3 km east of BP1.
The source said he was only known by his Burmese name, Aye Thaung.
He had already paid for 300,000 pills and the rest is expected to be
paid tomorrow, 1 May.
Also on 27 April, 10 ten-wheelers covered in rainproof canvas sheets,
from Hongpang Company owned by the United Wa State Army, moved from
Mongyawn in Monghsat Township, to Namhukhun in Mongton Township,
heavily guarded in front, middle and rear by 9 truckloads of
soldiers. The source told S.H.A.N., he saw two of the ten-wheelers
unloading and found them to be refining gear for heroin as well as
barrels of chemicals. He was not sure what the rest were carrying.
The convoy was commanded by an officer from IB 49 of Monghsat, Bo
Aung Myaing.
30 April 2000
No: 4 - 17
Opium Markets Flourish Under Junta
Northern Shan State's markets are now full of people selling and
buying opium harvested recently, according to local people who told
S.H.A.N..
Markets in Monghawm, Nawngkham, Parngphuak, Parngya in Kutkhai
Township, from Mongzi to Mongkoe are filled with opium buyers and
sellers who are doing business openly without fear of persecution,
they said.
The Mongkoe Defense Army, led by Mongsala and Kachin Democratic Army,
led by Mahtunaw, both of which enjoy ceasefire pacts with Rangoon,
are reported to be producing heroin.
For every viss (1.6 kg) that is sold, a K. 5,000 tax is imposed by
the local military authorities. The price of opium there ranges from
K. 180,000 - 200,000 per viss. It was lower than the last season,
when, because of unfavorable weather, the output was low and the
price had gone up to K. 230,000 per viss.
"As a result, even junior officers like Sgt.-Maj. Maung Mey in
Nawngkham and Sgt.-Maj. Kyaw Nyein in Monghawm, both from IB 123,
are living like vprinces," said the source.
____________________________________________________
SHAN: MILITARY TAKES A HEFTY CUT IN GAMBLING
30 April 2000
No: 4 - 16
S.H.A.N. correspondent reports from northern Shan State that local
military and police officials are heavily involved in widespread
gambling that constitutes as illegal in Burma.
"Apart from gambling dens set up on any excusable pretext, a
constant feature is the Thai lottery that is a craze in every
quarter of the country," said a source.
The rear three-digit lottery that is known farcically as "share" in
Burma is opened twice on the 1st and 16th of each month.
Authorized dealers, with their satellite dishes, monitor the results
directly from Bangkok on those days to settle their dues.
"However, the price of license is exorbitant," a local source from
Namlan, Hsipaw Township, told S.H.A.N.. In Namlan, a number is sold
at K. 100 each, and they usually sell about 10,000 numbers on the
average each time.
However, the dealers' net goes no more than K. 200,000, because they
have to pay K. 200,000 to each of the four agencies in town: The
veterans' organization, local Union Solidarity and Development
Association (USDA),
police and military intelligence services and the local military
unit. (IB 505, IB 506 and LIB 243 come in by rotation.)
The illustrated book of dream interpretation, drawn by Hart-hai five
years ago in two languages, Burmese and Shan, is currently the best
seller. It has already been printed several times since.
____________________________________________________
AVA: DUE TO SPDC LEADER'S VISIT, SECURITY HAS BEEN
TIGHTENED IN NORTHERN SHAN STATE
AVA Newsgroup
April 28, 2000
Additional security has been enforced in Northern Shan State due to
the SPDC Ministers' visit led by General Maung Aye and Lieutenant
General Tin Oo. Security has been placed in all major townships and
the towns along the Ministers' trip route conducting surprise checks
and recent visitor check of each household. The military
intelligence has ordered the cease-fired groups as well as anti-
insurgence groups and the militias that it is forbidden to carry
arms while travelling during the Ministers' trip.
General Maung Aye and his delegation of SPDC Ministers began their
trip on March 27th of this year. The delegation is planning to visit
several cities in Northern Shan State such as Lashio, Nampawng,
Muse, Kutkai, Lauhkai, Namkhan, Hsenwi, Namphakha, Kowngian and
Tashwehtan. During this trip, the delegation will also inspect newly
set up battalions, hydropower projects, road constructions and
border trade. The main objective of this trip is to monitor the
newly set up Number 16 Operation Control Command base in Hsenwi
and Regional Control Command base in Lauhkai. A source close to the
military informs Ava that General Maung Aye will replace Senior
General Than Shwe upon his upcoming retirement. This trip is aimed
at gaining support from the battalions in Northern Shan State for
General Maung Aye.
____________________________________________________
NLM: MULTIMEDIA CD-ROM OF STUDENT S ENGLISH-ENGLISH/MYANMAR
DICTIONARY LAUNCHED
New Light of Myanmar
YANGON, 29 April -The launching and demonstration of Multimedia CD-
ROM of Student s English -English/Myanmar Dictionary, arranged by the
Ministry of Commerce and Myanmar Inforithm Ltd, took place at the
International Business Center on Pyay Road this morning.
Chairman of Myanmar Education Committee Secretary-1 of the State
Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt attended the ceremony.
Minister for Commerce Brig-Gen Pyi Sone said the dictionary was
systematically compiled by accomplished translators with the
assistance of two ministries, so it has grown in widespread
popularity. It also breaks new ground in the history of dictionary
making in Myanmar, and altogether 80,000 copies were sold out. In
June 1999, another 20,000 copies went on sale.
English-Myanmar Dictionaries still in use in Myanmar, it is thc most
up-to Date and modern one, so Myanmar Inforithm Ltd offered to
distribute the dictionary CD-ROM with the use of multimedia
technology. Therefore, the Ministry of Commerce formed a committee
for launching the dictionary CD-ROM.
The CD-ROM contains pictures, cross references and pronunciation and
Myanmar alphabet keys, so it is an easy-to-use dictionary CD-ROM. The
CD-ROM will sell at a reasonable price. The dictionary always needs
updating. The present one is Version 1, and arrangements are being
made to continue to produce Version 11. In conclusion, the minister
said that the Ministry of Commerce prides itself on being able to
launch Student s English-English/Myanmar Dictionary and CD-ROM.
Managing Director of Myanmar Inforithm Ltd U Chit Tun Pe demonstrated
how to use CD-ROM, and spoke of words of thanks. Managing Director U
Chit Tun Pe presented 300 Dictionary Multimedia CD-ROMs for the
Ministry of Commerce to Minister Brig-Gen Pyi Sone and 100 CD-ROMs
for the Ministry of Education to Minister for Education U Than Aung.
___________________________________________________
BURMA COURIER: ANGLICAN PRIEST WARNED NOT RETURN TO BURMA
Monitor
Based on an article in the Sunday Telegraph: Updated to April 28, 2000
LONDON -- An Anglican priest of the Mandalay diocese has been warned
by Archbishop Andrew of Burma not to return to the country.
The Rev David Yam, who has been on study leave in England for the
last three and half years, said the message was delivered to him in
person by the archbishop who visited Britain in March. He said that
Archbishop Andrew had also written to British Home Secretary Jack
Straw warning of the danger that Yam would be in if he were sent back
to Burma and begging him to allow him to remain in Britain.
Yam, a supporter of the Burmese democracy movement, was arrested on
numerous occasions by the Burmese police from 1991-5 and said he had
seen colleagues murdered in front of him. In March, he had his
application to stay in Britain as a minister of religion refused by
the Home Office, despite having received permission to officiate by
the Archbishop of Canterbury. Yam was told he must return to Burma
and apply for residence in Britain from there. An order issued by the
Home Office said he would have to leave by April 4, but he has since
been granted time to appeal.
The Rev Ian Johnston, rector of Southampton City Centre, is preparing
to hide Yam to prevent his deportation to Burma. While the courts
have decreed that the medieval right of church sanctuary has no force
in law, Mr Johnston believes that the stand-off would embarrass the
Home Office and would be supported across the Church. A room on
church property was waiting and parishioners were standing by if Yam
had to be moved from house to house, Johnston said.
Yam said that in 1993, he was one of 15 church leaders taken to an
army camp in Burma. "A soldier said to one of my friends, 'We will
cut open your mouth so you will no longer speak'. They did. Then they
beat him until all his bones were broken. Then they put a plastic bag
over his head and suffocated him and then they shot him. It was by
the grace of God that I escaped from death in this camp."
On the advice of his bishop, Yam fled to India, where he married. He
received an invitation to continue his studies in England where he
has also been working as a security guard to support his family. A
few weeks ago, he was interviewed and offered a job by Johnston to
serve in an ethnic ministry in his parish.
The warning issued by Archbishop Andrew about the dangers facing his
fellow priest come at the same time, as the military regime's
ambassador in London has been using the archbishop to whitewash its
shameful persecution of the rural inhabitants of Karen state in
Burma. For the second time this month, an official bulletin issued by
military government's "information office" claimed that the "Anglican
Church are denying that [atrocities] actually happened as described
by the Karen National Union related witnesses". A previous request by
the Burma Courier that the "information office" publish the report,
which the ambassador claimed were the results of an "exhaustive"
investigation by the church's Hpa'an diocese, have been ignored.
__________________ INTERNATIONAL ___________________
AFP: JAPAN'S TRADE MINISTER TO VISIT MYANMAR, OTHER ASIAN NATIONS
Agence France Presse
April 28, 2000, Friday
TOKYO, April 28
Trade Minister Takashi Fukaya will become the first Japanese cabinet
member to visit Myanmar under its current military regime when he
attends a regional conference next week, his ministry said Friday.
International Trade and Industry Minister Fukaya will leave Tokyo on
Sunday for the meeting before also heading to Singapore and India,
the ministry said.
He will spend a night in Bangkok before flying into Yangon on Monday,
becoming the first Japanese minister to visit Myanmar since the junta
took power in 1988.
Fukaya will attend an economic ministers' meeting there on Tuesday
between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its
three key partners -- China, Japan and South Korea.
The minister plans to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts
from China, Malaysia and other countries although schedules are yet
to be fixed.
He will leave for Singapore on Wednesday to meet with Prime Minister
Goh Chok Tong on Thursday.
Fukaya will arrive in India late Thursday. Talks with Indian Prime
Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and other government leaders are being
arranged, the Japanese trade ministry said.
The minister will return home on Saturday.
____________________________________________________
THE IRISH TIMES: MAN WITH PASSION FOR RIGHTS LOCKED UP IN BURMA
Thursday, April 27, 2000
LONDON LETTER/Rachel Donnelly
Rangoon's colonial grandeur, once indelibly marked with the
architectural and cultural dreams of Europe, has largely faded into a
mass of multi-storey skyscraper hotels designed for millions of
tourists - tourists, however, who never arrive, discouraged by the
brutality and forced labour perpetrated by the military regime
against ordinary Burmese.
Two years ago in this city James Mawdsley, a Bristol University
graduate, was put on trial, charged with being a mercenary.
His name may not be familiar to many, but if his family and a leading
British QC have anything to do with it, James will forever be linked
with the yearning for democracy in Burma.
Like many young people looking for a cause to identify with, James
was moved by the story of a Burmese refugee fleeing oppression by the
military regime. He decided to leave the security of his life in New
Zealand and travelled to Burma to learn more about human rights abuses
and to call for the release of all political prisoners.
He lived in the Burmese jungle with the ethnic Karen community, whose
people have suffered gross human rights abuses at the hands of the
military. It is estimated that up to 30,000 have lost their lives
either resisting the military or because they have simply disappeared.
James's problems began soon after he illegally entered the country
and was guided by rebel soldiers to Rangoon, where he began his
protest. "I switched on my cassette player and democratic songs
blared out," he wrote later. Within a few minutes he was arrested and
taken away for questioning.
During an eight-day interrogation he was also tortured. His situation
worsened considerably when after requesting a lawyer, the trial judge
was brought his cell to explain that he would also be acting as his
defence lawyer.
James was sentenced to five years for illegal entry. He served 99
days in solitary confinement in the notorious Insein prison.
It might have been simpler and safer if he had decided to continue
his protest from outside Burma. He might have drawn more attention to
the extent of military repression, particularly since it ignored the
results of the 1990 general election that gave 82 per cent of the
vote to Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, if he had
stayed in Britain. But when he was released from prison and flew out
of Burma with his father, David, who turned to him and asked: "Is
that it?" James replied: "Dad, I've only just begun."
A year passed but James felt that he wasn't doing enough for the
Burmese people. "I thought he would just protest in London and write
his journal, which he did, but it wasn't enough," says David
Mawdsley, sitting in his west London home. So, last August James went
back to Burma. It is at that moment that his account of his entry
into the country and that of the military government diverge. James
insists he travelled to the Tachilek border area with his passport,
paid $5 to the local official and was given a one-day pass. Rangoon
says he entered the country illegally and handed out anti-government
leaflets.
His father says the documents he handed out "said nothing other than
open the universities and do not obey illegal orders - which is not
anti-government. That was enough for them to give him 17 years". He
was sent to a prison in Kengtung, 400 miles north-east of Rangoon.
The Mawdsley family is resilient. "In many ways the sentence was so
ludicrous it gave us hope," explains David Mawdsley. "If they'd said
three years for this and four years for that, now that would have
been much harder for the family to bear and for James to bear because
it's far more reasonable. But this is such a ludicrous amount,
pointless thinking about it."
Asked if his son was foolish, David Mawdsley is adamant. "Some people
thought he was a bit crazy, a bit foolhardy. But no, he's not. He is
determined - everyone is: his brother, his sister. Doesn't matter
what colour or creed you are - he really genuinely believes in
everyone's right, in human rights."
Eight months into James's 17year sentence the campaign for his
release is gathering pace. He is a British and Australian citizen and
officials from the British Foreign Office and both embassies in Burma
are working on his behalf. The family has also engaged a leading QC
to lead an appeal in Burma this year against his conviction.
Until then David Mawdsley and his family must wait and hope. "James
knows he's not going to do 10 years, I know he's not going to do 10
years. James is on a real one-to-one with God . . . He is prepared to
sacrifice his life for this."
Rachel Donnelly may be contacted at rdonnelly@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
____________________________________________________
XINHUA: MYANMAR JEWELRY ENTERS CHINESE MARKET
Saturday, April 29, 2000 8:06 PM EST
KUNMING (April 30) XINHUA - A big Myanmar jewelry company has opened
business in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan province.
The Good Health Fine Jewelry Co. Ltd, one of Myanmar's biggest gem
companies, is the first Myanmar jewelry company to enter the Chinese
market.
The company invested initially over 5 million yuan (602,000 US
dollars) to sell rubies, sapphires, jade and other jewelry and will
increase its investment in light of market demands.
The company is also considering setting up a subsidiary branch in
Shanghai, according to the company sources.
The Good Health Fine Jewelry owns nearly 100 gem mines and produces
over 2,000 kilograms of raw rubies every year.
Seventy percent of rubies on the international market are reportedly
sold by this company and its annual sales in recent years stand at
more than 5 million U.S. dollars.
____________________________________________________
NATION: BURMESE STUDENT COMMITS SUICIDE AT MANEELOY CAMP
A BURMESE student at the Ban Maneeloy refugee camp committed suicide
yesterday because he did not want to be sent to the United States,
police said.
La Khen, 30, slit his throat with a knife early yesterday morning in
the camp's compound in Ratchaburi province's Pak Tho district, said
Lt Col Somphop Sangthong.
He took his own life after complaining to friends that he did not
want to be relocated to the US.
La's friend, Mew Khen, saw him prepare to slit his throat and tried
to snatch the knife from him, but La ran off and slit his throat next
to the camp's pond, Somphop said.
The Nation (May 1, 2000)
_________________OPINION/EDITORIALS_________________
THE JAPAN TIMES: CONTAINING AUTHORITARIANISM IN MYANMAR
April 29, 2000, Saturday
By GEORGE SIORIS Special to The Japan Times The answer to Myanmar's
problems is obvious: The sooner the will of the majority of its
people is respected, the better for all concerned in the country, the
region and beyond.
The question is how is this going to happen? There are three possible
scenarios:
* By means of a popular uprising - unfortunately already aborted in
Myanmar and in any case extremely difficult in any country, since the
guns dictate developments from the wrong side of the fence.
* By threatening sticks.
* By offering carrots. A combination of the last two options may be a
more sophisticated way, but its effectiveness depends on a very
delicate mixing operation and its appropriate timing.
In Myanmar's case, some influential outsiders have opted for sticks,
others for carrots (or in a more elegant terminology, "sanctions"
and "constructive engagement" respectively.) Both have failed. This
dual approach has played beautifully into the hands of the
military: "Burma's State Peace and Development Council ... has over
the years shrewdly exploited the lack of a unified universal approach
to force political change in Burma," writes one Thai observer.
Assuming that "carrots" only increase the craving to stay in power,
let us consider the weakness of "sticks":
Professor J. Silverstein recently proposed the expulsion of the
Yangon regime from the United Nations. The initial counter-arguments
are easy: What are the precedents for such an action? What procedures
will be followed? How can the U.N. proceed to "selective"
expulsions ?
A totality of democratic members in the U.N. is an appealing Utopia,
but for the foreseeable future, at least, just that: a Utopia.
Moreover, the timing of this idea is unfortunate, since it coincides
with a laudable initiative by Secretary General Kofi Annan to
reactivate the U.N.' s role in the matter through the appointment of
a new representative, Ambassador Razali Ismail of Malaysia. Not only
that, but a similar drive to purify the Non-Aligned Movement of
undemocratic members was recently criticized as "partisan" by no less
prestigious a newspaper than The Hindu, of NAM's chief pillar, India.
Another weakness of the "sticks" approach is related to the European
Union.
First, there is no evident unanimity on sanctions among the EU's 15
member nations. Second, the EU has derailed, for the sake of its
justified dislike of Yangon, the whole process of institutionalized
encounters between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the
EU. (Only now are some hopes of such a meeting emerging, under the
auspices of the Portuguese presidency.) If Europe wants to penalize
Yangon, it can do so bilaterally, by downgrading diplomatic
representation there, without hurting the whole body of ASEAN.
Diplomacy works much better on the level of reciprocal representation
in capitals than by excluding one undesirable minister from a region-
to-region encounter.
Third, it is a sad fact that while this carousel is continuing to
revolve about the issue of EU-ASEAN meetings, several EU enterprises
quietly keep conducting private operations in Myanmar. It was only
recently disclosed that the British government had pressured the
British firm Premier Oil not to work with the junta. The company's
response, according to Agence France-Presse, was: "We strongly
believe that dialogue engagement as well as sustainable development
are key to effecting changes both now and in the future."
This brings us to the core of the problem, which has been repeatedly
stressed by democratic opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi: continuing
foreign investment in Myanmar, not only from the West but also from
Asia. "The prospect of economic benefits from doing business in Burma
was too powerful," admits Silverstein in a paper for the National
Endowment for Democracy. In early 1989, he writes, Beijing sold
Myanmar "more than Dollars 1 billion worth of new weapons on terms
believed to be highly favorable." Of course, everyone is aware of
China' s wider geopolitical concerns in the area, which dictate a
positive engagement with the Myanmar regime.
As long as these two key factors - China and the influx of investment
from private sources - remain, the Yangon regime is in a position to
ignore all outside calls to restore freedom and human rights in
Myanmar.
"Sanctions" is a frequently heard slogan in the West. They might have
been the ultimate answer in other, analogous situations, but in the
words of Annan himself, they have more often proven to be "a blunt
and even counterproductive instrument." There are always loopholes,
compounded by a lack of universal enforcement, and, as Thailand's
deputy foreign minister pointed out last year, they have failed to
yield results in China in the 1950s and '60s, in Cuba since 1969 and
in present-day Iraq. In addition, sanctions have had the apparent
effect of leading Myanmar's military to seek other sources of
revenue, like supporting illegal drug exports, with devastating
results, especially for neighboring Thailand.
The United States has created a legal framework to prohibit U.S.
investment in Myanmar. But it seems that here again there are
exemptions or areas not fully covered, for instance in the case of
hotels, if one is to judge from protests by Myanmar's democratic
organizations.
So what is to be done? Answers remain elusive, but persistent,
coordinated pressure on the regime, without penalizing either the
Myanmar people or regional broader undertakings, may eventually lead
to improvements that have to be acknowledged and applauded step by
step. Academic gatherings on Myanmar, such as the one in Britain in
1998 and more recently in South Korea, are useful, since they quietly
carry on examining new ideas and options, giving due consideration to
China's views as well, as an inevitable coplayer.
Finally, some more ideas worth considering: Coordination of
international efforts; support for U.N. initiatives; discouragement
of other governments from supporting the military junta; expansion of
Europe's legal framework for reducing or prohibiting private
investment in Myanmar; and a general correction, in the West, of the
contradiction of pontificating about liberty on the one hand and
tolerating private or semi-private economic transactions with
dictators on the other. May be, after all, the final solution will
arise from dialogue between the generals and the opposition on how to
achieve a smooth transition, as advised by some Myanmar monks, who
best represent the soul of this deeply Buddhist nation.
George Sioris, a former ambassador of Greece to Japan, is president
emeritus of the Asiatic Society of Japan and president of the Center
for Japanese and Asian Studies in Athens. He is a contributing
adviser to The Japan Times.
____________________________________________________
BANGKOK POST: BURMA OWES US HELP ON DRUGS
April 30, 2000.
Commentary
Thongbai Thongpao
At a meeting held at Government House on April 10, the National
Social Policy Committee discussed the effectiveness of amphetamine
suppression. The fact that 80-90% of jail inmates in Thailand are
drug offenders was raised. The meeting was of the opinion that
arrests and severe punishments had failed to reduce the rate of drug
crime. On the contrary, drugs are now more popular than ever and the
numbers of producers and traders has risen because of the higher
margins commanded since the drugs were 'promoted' to being class one
under the law. As such, someone proposed that the drug be
reclassified again as class 4 or 5. However, this is easier said than
done. It is doubtful the government has the nerve to do it. Even less
likely, someone else proposed that the state should make and
distribute the products at cheap prices, like cigarettes and liquor.
According to officials, there are 16-17 amphetamine production bases.
This raised the question that if they know where they are, why don't
they destroy them. Apparently, attempts have been made but the
producers always set up somewhere else, often out of reach across the
border.
Thai authorities cannot raid plants located on Burmese territory even
though they are operating right under their noses. Eliminating the
trafficking is equally problematic as it requires patrolling hundreds
of kilometres of border. So why doesn't Thailand pressure the Burmese
government to suppress the crime? Thailand and Malaysia already have
an agreement to arrest the criminals whichever country they are in.
Thailand may not be a superpower that can invade at will but we
cannot afford to let this situation continue.
On April 25 Matichon published an interview on the topic with M.R.
Sukhumbhand Paribatra, deputy foreign affairs minister. The minister
said he was keeping a close watch on the potential effect on
Thailand. He added that the Burmese government viewed the matter as
its internal affair.
Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai also discussed the issue of taking
action against Wa Dang with Sen Gen Than Shwe, president of the
Burmese Peace and Development Council.
"When the government says it can't control the area, we don't know
what to say. However, we promoted cooperation in every way possible,"
said the prime minister who noted that the Burmese claim they are
willing but not able.
"This week, related agencies will again discuss the issue as the
situation has reached the point where we can no longer stand it," he
added.
Matichon also reported that Mr. Chuan has urged that remedial
measures be speeded up and negotiated with the Wah Dang if the
Burmese government continues to prove incapable of action. The Thai
Foreign Affairs ministry has adopted a very flexible policy towards
the Burmese junta despite its well-documented violations of human
rights. We adhered to a constructive engagement policy despite
Burma's ostracism by the West and even supported its bid to join
Asean.
Nevertheless, the Burmese government continues to turn a blind eye to
the amphetamine plants which smuggle drugs into Thailand. Surely we
deserve better treatment given all the assistance and support we give
the Burmese.
Matichon also reported that some high-ranking Thai Foreign Affairs
officials said that the junta isn't really serious about cracking
down as its relations with Wa Dang are good.
Now that the facts are crystal clear, it is time the Thai government
took decisive measures to tackle the drug problem. The constructive
engagement policy is bankrupt. Please don't make us feel that you too
are colluding with Wa Dang and the Burmese junta to undermine our
national security.
____________________________________________________
SPDC: LURKING ELEMENTS OUT TO DESTROY RACE
[This poem is a representative sample of poems regularly posted by
the regime on its Myanmar list email listserv. It was posted on
April 28, 2000. The "racial destroyer" referred to appears to be
Aung San Suu Kyi.]
To all patriot Myanmars
Take heed and greater care
Those that harm our community
Those that divide our society
May be of the same creed
But they have no integrity
They have colonial maters [SIC]
They are racial destroyers
If they love them as kith and kin
And it'd be good for their skin
They would be lurking
To destroy own race and religion.
________________
Acronyms and abbreviations regularly used by BurmaNet.
AVA: Ava Newsgroup. A small, independent newsgroup covering Kachin
State and northern Burma.
KHRG: Karen Human Rights Group. A non-governmental organization that
conducts interviews and collects information primarily in Burma's
Karen State but also covering other border areas.
NLM: New Light of Myanmar, Burma's state newspaper. The New Light of
Myanmar is also published in Burmese as Myanmar Alin.
SCMP: South China Morning Post. A Hong Kong newspaper.
SHAN: Shan Herald Agency for News. An independent news service
covering Burma's Shan State.
SPDC: State Peace and Development Council. The current name the
military junta has given itself. Previously, it called itself the
State Law and Order Restoration Council
________________
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